Vedder Price is pleased to announce that Raam S. Jani has joined the firm as a Shareholder in its Corporate practice area in Chicago.

Mr. Jani focuses his practice on private equity and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, investment services and general corporate advisory work. He has experience in a wide range of transactions, business ventures and general corporate matters and has represented a number of well-known private equity funds, search funds and independent sponsors in leveraged acquisitions, recapitalizations and exit transactions.

Mr. Jani also represents a number of privately held corporations, including operating companies acquired by search funds, private equity portfolio companies and family offices in connection with a variety of corporate matters. He has international transaction experience, advising clients in connection with non-U.S. search funds and a number of private company transactions requiring cross-border transactional knowledge.

“We are happy that Raam has joined us in Chicago,” said Michael A. Nemeroff, President and CEO of Vedder Price. “His general corporate practice provides depth to our robust Finance & Transactions group, and his transactional experience representing search funds, independent sponsors and private equity funds adds additional capabilities for our clients in need of acquisition, transactional and general corporate support.”

“Vedder has a market focus that perfectly aligns with my practice,” said Mr. Jani. “I’m excited to not just grow my practice here, but to lend my experience in private equity transactions, including independent sponsors and search funds, while continuing my general corporate work for operating companies that were purchased via entrepreneurship through acquisition transactions or other private equity transactions.”

Prior to joining Vedder Price, Mr. Jani was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.

Vedder Price is pleased to announce that Eugene A. Boyle has joined the firm as a Shareholder in its Labor & Employment practice area in Chicago.

Mr. Boyle counsels and defends companies nationally in all facets of labor and employment law, regularly advising employers across many industries on a broad spectrum of employment law issues. He has extensive experience negotiating complex employment agreements, separation agreements, outsourcing agreements and non-compete and confidentiality agreements. He provides general advice and counsel in connection with all areas of employment regulation and compliance with state and federal laws, including training and policy development, wage and hour law compliance, workforce reductions, and state and federal plant closing laws.

He also has significant traditional labor law and labor relations experience. Mr. Boyle has negotiated many CBAs and regularly provides advice with respect to contract administration and grievance-handling. He has handled numerous labor arbitrations, unfair labor practice and representation cases before the NLRB and injunction proceedings in state and federal courts. His practice also includes dispute resolution, litigating employment claims on behalf of management all across the country.

“We are thrilled to have Gene join our L&E team at Vedder,” said Douglas M. Hambleton, Operating Shareholder of Vedder Price. “He’s an extremely talented attorney with a broad background in both traditional labor and employment litigation. He has the right experience and approach to help expand our current capabilities and to serve our clients with the business acumen to which they are accustomed.”

“I’m excited to contribute to our existing Labor and Employment capabilities and to lend my traditional labor experience to best serve our clients in Chicago and nationwide,” said Mr. Boyle.

Prior to joining Vedder Price, Mr. Boyle was a Partner in Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg’s Labor and Employment Practice Group. He earned his J.D. from Washington University School of Law and his B.A. from Lawrence University. 

Vedder Price is pleased to announce that Raam S. Jani has joined the firm as a Shareholder in its Corporate practice area in Chicago.

Mr. Jani focuses his practice on private equity and venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, investment services and general corporate advisory work. He has experience in a wide range of transactions, business ventures and general corporate matters and has represented a number of well-known private equity funds, search funds and independent sponsors in leveraged acquisitions, recapitalizations and exit transactions.

Mr. Jani also represents a number of privately held corporations, including operating companies acquired by search funds, private equity portfolio companies and family offices in connection with a variety of corporate matters. He has international transaction experience, advising clients in connection with non-U.S. search funds and a number of private company transactions requiring cross-border transactional knowledge.

“We are happy that Raam has joined us in Chicago,” said Michael A. Nemeroff, President and CEO of Vedder Price. “His general corporate practice provides depth to our robust Finance & Transactions group, and his transactional experience representing search funds, independent sponsors and private equity funds adds additional capabilities for our clients in need of acquisition, transactional and general corporate support.”

“Vedder has a market focus that perfectly aligns with my practice,” said Mr. Jani. “I’m excited to not just grow my practice here, but to lend my experience in private equity transactions, including independent sponsors and search funds, while continuing my general corporate work for operating companies that were purchased via entrepreneurship through acquisition transactions or other private equity transactions.”

Prior to joining Vedder Price, Mr. Jani was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery. He earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and his B.B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame.

Vedder Price is pleased to announce that Global Transportation Finance Shareholder Mark J. Ditto has been named “Best in Aviation” by Euromoney Legal Media Group at their inaugural Americas Rising Star Awards.

The Awards celebrate rising star attorneys under the age of 40 across a number of practice areas based on their work over the previous 12 months. The awards were presented at a ceremony in New York on September 27, 2018.

Mr. Ditto represents operating lessors, commercial banks, finance companies, private equity firms and hedge funds in complex commercial aircraft transactions, including securitizations and warehouse financings, Rule 144A and Regulation S capital markets offerings, including those involving syndicated equity, joint ventures, cross-border operating and finance leases, distressed-debt trades and workouts and the establishment of offshore leasing platforms.

Euromoney Legal Media Group, an international publications and industry information corporation, provides authoritative coverage of the global legal market and is a preeminent resource for corporate heads and in-house counsel worldwide.

To view the entire list of winners, please click here.

As we previously reported in our April 23 newsletter/bulletin, the New York State Legislature passed significant legislation aimed at protecting employees from workplace sexual harassment. This week, the state issued its highly anticipated model sexual harassment prevention policy and model interactive sexual harassment prevention training program after issuing draft documents in August, and receiving public comments thereafter. Effective October 9, 2018, the new law requires all New York State employers to either implement the state’s model sexual harassment prevention policy, or create their own sexual harassment prevention policy that meets or exceeds the minimum standards established by the state. Employers must also distribute their sexual harassment prevention policy to all New York State employees, in writing or electronically, as of this date. On the training front, the new law requires employers to either adopt the state’s model interactive sexual harassment prevention training program, or create their own state-compliant program. However, in something of a reprieve, employers will have a year—until October 9, 2019—to train current employees, instead of by January 1, 2019, as originally required. Such training must be conducted annually, and new employees should be trained “as quickly as possible” once their employment begins. What constitutes “as quickly as possible,” however, has not yet been defined.

To aid employers in their compliance with the new law, the state has published additional materials including the following: a Sexual Harassment Prevention Employer Toolkit, Minimum Standards for Sexual Harassment Prevention Policies, Minimum Standards for Sexual Harassment Training, a Model Complaint Form for Reporting Sexual Harassment, a Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy Notice, Instructions and a Model Training Script for Sexual Harassment Prevention Training and Sexual Harassment Prevention Case Studies. Employers should carefully review these sexual harassment prevention materials and determine whether to adopt the model policy and training program or devise their own.

Employers should act quickly to ensure full compliance with all requirements under the new law. If you have any questions concerning New York State’s or New York City’s anti-sexual harassment laws, or you would like assistance implementing your sexual harassment prevention program, please contact Jonathan A. Wexler at (212) 407-7732, Blythe E. Lovinger at (212) 407-7770, Monique E. Chase at (212) 407-7774, Haley P. Tynes at (212) 407-6997 or any other Vedder Price attorney with whom you have previously worked.

Shareholder Edward Gross and Associate Erich Dylus, of the firm’s Global Transportation Finance team, published “Aircraft Lenders Should Provide Financing (Not Advice)” in the current issue of the ABA’s The Air & Space Lawyer (vol. 31, no. 3, 2018).

In the article, Mr. Gross and Mr. Dylus address the need for aircraft lenders to work strictly in a financial, rather than advisory, context with their clients. This is supported by the recent 1st Source Bank v. Neto case, in which a customer counterclaimed against his lender’s collection action, asserting that the lender’s bad tax advice caused the loss of the aircraft and the loan default. Mr. Gross and Mr. Dylus explore the background and ramifications of this case as well as the overall takeaway for lenders in the industry.

To read the full article, click the link below.

Aircraft Lenders Should Provide Financing (Not Advice)

Global Transportation Finance team members Cameron A. Gee and Ji Woon Kim will present at the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Hong Kong 2018 Conference on October 29–31 in Hong Kong, China.

The three-day conference brings together leaders in the aviation industry, from airlines to investors to aviation companies, to network and exchange ideas.

Mr. Gee will speak on Current Developments in Aircraft Pre-Delivery Payment Financing Transactions.

Mr. Kim will moderate a panel on Supported Finance – ECAs and Alternatives (AFIC and Beyond).

Additionally, Vedder Price is a proud sponsor of the conference.

To learn more about the Airline Economics Growth Frontiers Hong Kong 2018 Conference, click here.

Please join us at the following session designed for in-house counsel and human resource professionals, led by the Labor & Employment attorneys of Vedder Price. At this complimentary session, we will discuss important legal updates and labor and employment best practices.

Event Details

Wednesday, October 24 | 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (ET)

Newseum | Washington, DC
555 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

Breakfast provided; Lunch to follow from 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Who should attend: This event is intended for in-house counsel and human resource professionals.

Agenda Topics

DMV Lightning Round

DC Human Rights Act Overview
DC FMLA
DC Paid Family Leave
Enforceability of Restrictive Covenants
Minimum Wage Issues
Paid Sick Leave
Wage Payment Issues – Including Payments on Termination

Navigating the Intersection of FMLA, ADA and Paid Sick Leave

NLRA Considerations for Non-Union Employers

Legal and Practical Solutions for Protecting and Supporting LGBTQ Employees

Lessons Learned from the #MeToo Movement - VEDDER TALK

CLE & HRCI Credit

Vedder Price is an accredited CLE provider in California, Illinois and New York; and, when possible, a sponsor in Virginia.

This program has been pre-approved for HRCI credit.

The use of this seal confirms that this activity has met HR Certification Institute’s® (HRCI®) criteria for recertification credit pre-approval.